U.S. Cellular hates me

December 10, 2005

I just got back from the mall. I went because I needed to get a cell phone. U.S. Cellular is the dominant carrier around these parts and people have told me the coverage is good so I decided that that’s what I want to get.

I get to the U.S. Cellular store in the mall and stand for a half-hour waiting for a salesperson to get to me (there were only two). One finally finishes up and gets to me. I explain what I want, picked out a phone, then the sales guy called away and started to do his thing with the activation.

I was then told that even though I provided a driver’s license and a social security card as identification, U.S. Cellular would not accept it. They said that I would have to get a ceritifcate from the Social Security Office in order to get a phone.

Let me repeat that again: I had my SSN card on me and presented it to the sales guy. You know, the one issued by the Social Security Administration themeselves – and this wasn’t good enough.

(sigh)

Either I go to the local SSA office and get this documentation, or I go get TRAC phone instead.

Even if I do get a TRAC phone I think I’ll pay a visit to the SSA office to see what’s up.